Grumman lays off 19 at plant in Glen Arm More layoffs possible if work load declines.

April 11, 1991|By Liz Atwood | Liz Atwood,Evening Sun Staff

The Grumman Corp. aircraft parts plant in Baltimore County today laid off 19 of its 200 workers as part of a corporate-wide effort to reduce the work force by 1,900 employees by the end of the year.

"We hope this is the end of it," plant director Paul F. Causey said. But he added, "We don't know because it depends on the work."

The plant is part of the Grumman Aircraft Systems Division and produces parts for military aircraft.

Causey said Grumman would continue to scrutinize the work load at the Glen Arm facility and that more layoffs are possible. "We're pacing ourselves. There can be more."

Last week, a Grumman plant in Salisbury laid off 95 of its approximately 500 workers.

Based in Bethpage, N.Y., Grumman builds military aircraft, including the Navy's F-14 Tomcat fighters and A-6 bombers. Recent cuts in defense spending have forced the company to scale back its operations.

The Navy announced several weeks ago that it was canceling Grumman's F-14A modernization contract. Congress put the modernization program back into the 1991 budget, but no money has been appropriated for new F-14s or modernization of the aircraft for 1992.

The uncertainty of the F-14 is related, but not directly the cause of the layoffs, Causey said.

Last year, the company laid off 17 workers and 17 retired or resigned. This year, two people left the company for other work, he said.

Today's layoffs affect shop, maintenance, quality control and office workers. Most of the employees were notified when they reported to work this morning. Others would be told later today or when they return to work.

Workers are being referred to county job service offices for assistance, Causey said.

"Under more healthy circumstances, we would try to relocate them within the company, but there's no plan to relocate them," Causey said.